Founded originally as the Measles Initiative in 2001, it changed its name to the Measles & Rubella Initiative in 2012 when rubella was added to the mission. With the addition of new partners in 2023, the initiative was rebranded as the Measles & Rubella Partnership. The Partnership is led by the American Red Cross, The Gates Foundation, Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, the United Nations Foundation, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF and the World Health Organization.